Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend, Erich Von Stroheim, born September 22, 1885!
To quote Sunset Blvd, “There were three young directors who showed promise in those days: D. W. Griffith, Cecil B. DeMille, and Max Von Mayerling.” If you’re familiar with the film, which I’m sure you are, you probably know that it is none other than Birthday Boy, Erich Von Stroheim, saying those words in the role of sad, defeated Max Von Mayerling. And of course as the best narratives go, Von Mayerling was analogous to Von Stroheim as the once highly respected director whose best creative days were surely behind him. What the movie leaves out, however, is Von Stroheim’s other abilities as writer/actor. I guess you can say that he represented a different type of triple threat than the Cagney’s of the world. So, to Celebrate this wonderfully talented man’s birth, I say we look at his unique combination of talents as writer, director, producer and actor. Did I say triple threat? Looks like I meant quadruple threat.
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Erich Von Stroheim as writer/director in his most notorious film Greed. (1924, Erich Von Stroheim director)
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Erich Von Stroheim as writer/director/producer in the Gloria Swanson vehicle Queen Kelly. (1929, Erich Von Stroheim director)
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Erich Von Stroheim as actor in The Grand Illusion.
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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub
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Nice tribute! Currently fascinated by von Stroheim as I work on a post for Sunset Blvd. May well pingback to this. When I find the time I plan to read more about his career. I have a sense of a creepy man due to Sunset Blvd. but know little about his actual work, I must admit. Although, I just saw several interviews about the controversial, unfinished, Queen Kelly.
Anyway – really enjoyed this. Thanks.
Aurora